| by Joe Leo, Columnist | November 15, 2006 |
continued... from: previous page
I figured this would be the best approach, going to the Apple Store, since obviously, they would most likely have the part in question. And you'd be sure to get the right one, even if you had to pay for the replacement part. So I went online to the Concierge, an appointment system for scheduling just that at the Genius Bar in your local Store.
(Here's a tip for everyone. Contrary to popular belief, the Genius Bar is not a "walk-in" basis type of thing. It's one of those "if your local Apple Store is nice to you" kind of things. You normally have to schedule an appointment like going to the dentist or getting your car repaired. Best way to guarantee an appointment? Booking a reservation at the Concierge in the early morning).
My appointment was scheduled for 4:45p on Sunday at the Apple Store in Emeryville, California. (In the San Francisco Bay Area, there's an Apple Store as near as 30 minutes from wherever you're at. I have one 15 minutes to the north, and 45 minutes-- because of traffic --to the east). I almost missed it because of the Raiders game letting out as I hit the road.
I walked in to the Apple Store, just in time, to see my name at the top of the list on the big LCD screens on the wall of the Genius Bar. I wish it had said, "Joe Leo, Columnist for PBCentral.com... resident expert on site. Don't botch this job, or it will receive press coverage online!!"
This was my first time ever going to Apple for help since I've always solved my own problems-- if there were ever any, since remember, Mac users don't have all these issues like PC users do! --so I patiently waited for them to call me up. Every time I've gone in to the store to window shop, I've heard them announce the names of people next in line for the Bar.
It was five minutes past my appointment time, so I decided to go up. The employee asked, "Do you have an appointment?" (Duh. I've only been standing across from you for five minutes. Was I standing there enjoying a painting on the wall?). I showed them my appointment reservation confirmation.
"Okay. What can we help with you with today?" I took out my PowerBook and explained my problem. The guy said that was an easy fix. He opened one of the drawers behind the counter and I saw a collection of dead keyboards. I was expecting something more fancy, like individual key replacements in fancy Apple packaging, labeled by part number.
The first thing I noticed when he plopped down the keyboard was that the fonts on the keys were bolder than those on my PowerBook. That was the first indicator to me that there was definitely a proprietary keyboard to each model of the 12" PowerBook. Why that wasn't an indicator on the PowerBook repair sites and on eBay? I don't know.
(I just notice those kinds of tiny details from being involved with graphic design in my job).
I kept my mouth shut. He grabbed an "F1" key and popped it off. (By the way, that was the key that I broke the night before. Though only the scissor mechanism underneath). He needed a special tool to do his job, so he asked another employee to get it for him.
Eventually, the two switched places. First, this new guy took the scissor mechanism, and applied it to my keyboard. IT DIDN'T FIT. He didn't notice that it looked awkward, so I decided to open my mouth.
"Are you sure that's the right one? I heard that there are different keyboard models for each PowerBook." (I was playing the part of dumb customer, uninformed). He said no, and that they were all the same.
I've always been one to make sure that I have the upper hand going into a situation. Being armed with information gives you a lot of power. Maybe that's just a given for journalists. Doing research and gathering information.
Anyway, he asked the original guy who had helped me first who was now attending to something else in the background, and that one said, "Actually, yes there are." The guy currently helping me seemed to think that was weird.
Remember, the scissor part already wasn't fitting, and it was sticking upward. He unsuccessfully attempted to pop the "new" key onto it, and it wouldn't go on. I finally said, "I don't think that's the right part because my scissor mechanism looks different."
I was trying to point out that scissor mechanism on my key was a plain circle in the middle. Perfect circle. This one he was popping on, that wasn't fitting, was a circle with a square notch. (Unfortunately, I don't have any images I can provide to clarify this).
The Genius explained to me that all the keyboard keys have a notch and were all the same. I said no, and mentioned that that's the reason why it wasn't fitting. (I was afraid he was going to damage my snowflake because he was forcing it on). Goodnesssssss...!
"Heaven help us all...," as the late Ray Charles sang in his duet with Gladys Knight from his hit album (sadly released after his passing) Genius Loves Company.